Rest. Hard to come by at times in our hyper-connected, tech-driven and ‘Zoomed-out’ world. Every one is on a race to arrive somewhere, be somebody and achieve something of worth. But we get out of balance when we forget that God hardwired ambition AND rest into the human race.
Even God, the ultimate go-getter and visionary, rested after creating the world. I don’t necessarily think that after spending six days creating the intricate and complex world we live in, God was ‘fatigued’ in the same way we understand tiredness. After all, in Isaiah 40:28, we’re told that “the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth does not faint or grow weary” or as the Message translation nicely puts it, “He doesn’t stop to catch His breath.”
So, why did God need to rest? I think He was laying down the principle of the importance of pausing to look upon, marvel at and enjoy the people around you and the beautiful world you live in. We all need a few minutes, an hour, a day or few days even to just drown out the noise of ambition and ‘doing’ and focus on ‘being’ still and refreshed.
I’m grateful for the pockets of rest I’ve been able to enjoy over the course of 2020. Like everyone else, my holiday plans collapsed without warning but still, through intentionality I’ve been able to carve out time for rest and stillness.
I’m grateful that God created the principle of rest and I can freely indulge in it without worrying the need to be constantly ‘doing’ in order to prove myself to anyone. Crikey, God took a break, why shouldn’t I??!
Mate, 2020 has been hard going, you’ve more than earned a break! 🙂
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Father, thank You for leading me beside still waters and refreshing my soul in 2020.
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Unvarnished 